Are Arborvitae Deer Resistant? | What Actually Works

No arborvitae variety is fully deer-proof, but western species and hybrids like Green Giant and American Pillar are significantly more resistant than eastern white cedar, especially when deer pressure is light.

One wrong tree choice can turn a privacy screen into a winter buffet. The short answer depends on which arborvitae you plant and where you live. Eastern species like Thuja occidentalis (the standard Emerald Green and North Pole varieties) are frequently browsed down to bare stems, while western species like Thuja plicata and its hybrid offspring are naturally less appealing due to stronger aromatic oils in their foliage. But resistance is a sliding scale, not a guarantee, and winter hunger erases even that.

This guide breaks down which varieties stand the best chance, exactly how to plant them for success, and what to do when deer decide to test your defenses anyway.

Which Arborvitae Species Are Actually Deer Resistant?

Deer resistance in arborvitae comes down to one thing: chemistry. Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and its hybrids produce foliage with a strong, bitter scent and taste that deer typically avoid. Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) lacks this chemical edge and gets eaten first.

The most reliable choices have a proven track record, but none will stand up to a starving herd in deep snow. Here is how the major varieties stack up.

Green Giant is the standout. This hybrid of western redcedar and Japanese arborvitae grows 3–5 feet per year, reaches 50–60 feet at maturity, and its dense, aromatic foliage makes it the last choice on a deer’s menu. American Pillar offers similar chemistry in a columnar 15–20-foot form that fits tighter spaces. Emerald Green, despite being marketed as resistant, gets browsed heavily when food is scarce — its smaller size (15–18 feet) and weaker scent make it a risk in any area with regular deer traffic.

What “Deer Resistant” Actually Means — And Doesn’t Mean

The term is a marketing label, not a botanical guarantee. “Resistant” means deer prefer other plants when food is abundant, not that they will never touch arborvitae. The American Conifer Society notes that resistance drops significantly in winter, when snow covers the ground and tender arborvitae foliage becomes an accessible secondary food source.

If you live in a region with heavy deer populations — particularly the Northeast and Midwest — every arborvitae variety is at risk during hard winters. In those areas, physical barriers are the only reliable answer.

How To Plant Arborvitae For The Best Chance of Survival

Healthy, well-established trees resist deer damage better than stressed ones. Proper planting gives them a fighting start. Garden Goods Direct publishes clear specifications for American Pillar that apply broadly to most columnar arborvitae.

• Dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball height.
• Loosen any circling roots before setting the root ball in place. The top of the root ball must sit level with the surrounding soil — planting too deep is a common killer.
• Backfill halfway, water to settle the soil, then finish filling and water again to eliminate air pockets.
• Spread 2–3 inches of mulch around the base, keeping it 2+ inches away from the trunk to prevent crown rot.
• Plant in early spring or early fall when soil moisture is reliable. Space trees 3–4 feet apart on center for a living fence.

How To Protect Arborvitae When Deer Arrive

When deer find your trees, you have three approaches, and only one is truly effective long-term. Your first line of defense is a proper physical barrier. Burlap wrapping around young trees or welded wire fencing anchored into the ground stops deer entirely. Plastic mesh netting often fails — deer push through or browse around it.

Second, we have a full guide on chemical deterrents that can tip the odds in your favor. Our tested deer repellent roundup for arborvitae covers what actually keeps them off through winter, including spray strategies that don’t freeze solid in January.

Third, natural repellents work in mild conditions but require constant reapplication. Products based on dried blood tied at nose height or sprays like Deer Out can help during growing season but lose effectiveness with rain and snow.

Can A Repellent Alone Protect Arborvitae?

A chemical repellent used alone is gambling with expensive trees. The Davey Blog reports that even the best sprays fail in winter because they freeze or get buried under fresh snow. The one exception is repellents containing egg solids, which remain potent longer — but still require that deer have other food options.

For any arborvitae planted in a zone with regular deer activity, the only strategy that approaches 100% effectiveness is combining physical barriers with seasonal repellent application. Barrier through winter, spray during spring growth.

What To Plant Instead If Deer Won’t Leave Arborvitae Alone

Some properties are simply deer central, and no arborvitae variety survives there without a fortress around it. In those cases, switching to truly resistant species saves years of frustration and lost trees.

Boxwoods are the gold standard — deer almost never touch them, and they tolerate shearing into formal hedges or informal screens. Columnar spruce varieties, including Norway spruce and blue spruce, have stiff needles that deer avoid. Holly bushes, particularly Chinese holly and Oakland holly, offer year-round resistance plus berries for winter interest. Viburnum plicatum and Cryptomeria (soft foliage, seldom bothered per multiple grower reports) fill the softer-textured role that arborvitae would have played.

Protection Checklist For Arborvitae Plantings

If you are committed to arborvitae despite the deer risk, follow this sequence for the best chance of long-term survival. Identify your deer pressure level first — walk the property for tracks and browse damage before buying a tree. Choose Green Giant or American Pillar over any eastern variety. Install welded wire fencing before winter, not after the damage appears. Apply chemical repellent in early spring when new growth emerges. Inspect for bagworms during summer — Sevin (carbaryl) treats infestations quickly. Remove any mulch touching the trunk at every planting, as buried bark invites rot that weakens the tree’s natural defenses. Plan to protect the trees through their first two winters, which is when deer discover them; after that, resistance improves slightly as the bark thickens and the foliage chemicals intensify.